Just About Saving Her
by TheShock
Summary: As the end of his battle with the human eventually came, he thought that everything would change. He wasn't wrong, no. But the change was not the one he expected. And so, with this new chance given, he will try everything to SAVE her. (AU, Possessed!Toriel)
1. A Change in the Rift of Time

**A/N: Boy, ideas spring from this particular song. A lot of them…**  
 **Do not worry, I haven't discarded my other work. Just, I think this has a potential to grow into an AU-ish sort of thing, where the Dreemurr king has to save Toriel from an unknown force. Plus, I got a little inspired seeing "Just a Stranger", so the idea of a timeline that feels wrong on multiple levels is needless to say…**

 **…Plot-buliding! :)**

 **Also...I can't believe just how plotbunnies like to knock on my door. I'm just like "Are you serious, Shock?"**

 **Anyway, I do hope it's good enough for you.**

* * *

 **Prologue**  
 _ **A Change in the Rift of Time**_

He was ready to fight the human before him, but his readiness was more of a façade than anything else. He tried to convince himself there was no other way than fighting, that only by killing the human, their victory is at hand. Well, after countless attempts at using monster SOULS to break the barrier, after countless nights that he spent crying after Toriel, letting out furious bleats as he couldn't understand why didn't she remain alongside him, victory right now seemed certain. But then, he knew that all that anger against her, all that resentment subsided, and he finally understood why she abandoned him.

" _They were my children, Dreemurr! I failed to protect them; you don't understand what I feel!"_

In reality, he could understand, but there was no way that any of his words would've calmed down the furious tempest that Toriel could be, when it came to defending the innocents. As he let out a sigh, holding his trident, taking in the sight of the human before him – who wore the same clothes as Chara, but the colors were slightly different – he started swinging.

Left.

Right.

" _Stay still, small one! Your soul will help us be free!"_

The child wasn't scared of monsters – no, they knew just what kindness lay behind the masks of monsters – and yet, they didn't want to give their SOUL that easily. Not when Toriel warned them that Asgore would kill them, something they understood, something that they realized as the large, furry goat king was swinging his trident at them.

Though there were slight moments when they could see tears in his eyes, and wondered if the king actually gave up on his killing intentions. But when the swings got faster and started to be accompanied by massive fireballs aimed for them, it became clear that he was trying to goad them into fighting – as if really convinced that death was his only liberation.

The child searched through their inventory, trying to heal up the wounds they got while fighting him – some Cinnamon Bunnies, some Spider Donuts – but with each new round of dangerous trident swipes aiming to pierce the SOUL out of them, with each new wave of fireballs that threatened to burn them to a crisp, they knew that he had to have a weakness, something he cares for, more than anything in the world.

And then they remembered the failed attempts – dozens, perhaps – at recreating the Butterscotch-Cinammon Pie that Toriel baked for them, back in the Ruins. It seemed that the king was really missing Toriel, as if knowing her for quite a long time, so they decided to eat the remaining thing in their inventory, hoping to God that it would work.

"What is that scent?" the king stopped in the middle of his attack, feeling a familiar scent invading his nostrils, and then saw the small child nibbling quite happily on a slice of pie. The more the scent relished in his nostrils, the more it became clear _whose_ scent was, _whose_ pie it was – and his paws started to shake. "Toriel…" he muttered quietly, and the human noticed that King Asgore stopped his attack, in the same time, his own attack and defense decreasing as the scent of butterscotch and cinnamon filled the field of battle.

" _Now's my chance,"_ the child thought as they reluctantly started fighting against the king, twirling the Knife in their right hand. _"Although I really hate doing this, the only way I can get their best ending is if I fight him. What kind of Pacifist am I, if at the end I have to fight the last monster?"_ They sighed as they started swinging the small blade with a hint of reluctance in their eyes, and the kingly monster was parrying with his trident accordingly, the same hint of reluctance in his eyes. Blade and trident clashed against one another, until the last breath of one or the other, while a certain flower was watching the entire confrontation from the sidelines. _"In one moment, the king will be quite weakened, and then—! They'll never know what hit them!"_

More parries, waves of fire and expert dodging from the child were exchanged in the next minutes, minutes that, inadvertently, prolonged the final decision – if monsterkind lived or died – until Flowey decided enough was enough, and it was advantaged by the fact that the two fighters were looking exhausted. The human, after a lot of struggling, managed to land a critical blow to the monster king, forcing the latter to kneel before the child as he clutched his wound with a small smile and tears in his eyes. With that, the small child threw the blade far away, feeling sinister as he was forced to almost reduce the king to a pile of dust – but what hurt more was how the king actually regarded his defeat.

"Human…Y-you have proven yourself as the better fighter," Asgore said with a smile. "I assume you know the tragic story of o-our people," he continued, a light hack escaping his muzzle.

"K-King Asgore," they said as they rushed to the great king, who was now lying on the cold earth that formed the barrier's tunnel, "I-I'm not going to let you turn to dust!"

"W-What a kind c-child you are," he replied, "but the truth m-must be known." Another hack escaped his muzzle as he took the child's hand into one of his paws. "I didn't want to…hurt anyone. I…I did not w-want power. All I wanted…was to see my children once more. My wife…"

"You mean, Toriel?" the child's eyes widened as they realized that he was the one they saw in one of the photographs in Toriel's house. They bit their lip as the dark truth of the Dreemurrs' separation came to surface, and started crying, their entire body shacking…

"Ch-Child. We c-can be a family…y-you have decided to s-stay in the Underground…for our sake…" he said to them, with a comforting voice. But he had just one thought in his mind – a thought so dark that it almost seemed possible – _"I cannot take this any longer,"_ as tears were welling up in his eyes as well.

And then, it happened.

 _BOOM!_

A pair of green, spiky vines erupted from the ground, attaching themselves to the large body of the king, but the small child tried their best as keeping them apart – as Flowey hissed at the resistance this puny human was trying to put up – but somehow, the king, as much as he wanted to take comfort in the thought he had, unexpectedly fought back.

Flowey did not appreciate the resistance at all, and decided to turn the goat monster to dust – he was merely another simple pawn in this game of chase that he and the human had – but somehow, his plan backfired.

The king could only remember the frightened screams of the child, the vines that entangled him…

…And then, darkness.

-X-

"… _ **gore, …sgore…KING ASGORE!"**_ A voice called out to him, a voice that made his eyes open to a strange white light, as he could discern a vague silhouette before him and nothing else. The light was still a little too strong for his liking, but with time, he could finally see where he was. It was a laboratory of sorts, very similar to what Alphys had, and yet, when his eyes dawned upon the one who called out his name, he had a small shock.

"I know you…" he said, with a gasp. "G-Gaster? H-How are you alive…?"

"Ah. I'm not real, King Asgore. None of this is real." the tall, skeleton scientist said, as he dusted his white robes.

"Th-then, why can I see you?" his eyes widened, as if trying to understand what was going on. "Why do I feel I'm cold, very cold?"

"Because you're still unconscious, my king," Gaster said, with a deadpan expression, _"And I'm just a mere meddler in the matters of time and space…"_ he thought, keeping the words for himself. "I must warn you though, what you'll see when this ends…I'm afraid it will shock you even greater."

"Why?" Asgore asked, still unsure what to believe. When it came to this strange skeleton, he couldn't really tell what was on the latter's mind, nor what he did to keep the Underground a safe place.

"Because where you are…a force controls the entire realm. A force that has the Queen under its' grasp. You can expect her to want you _dead._ "

At the last phrase, Asgore's expression was blank, as if fear itself wormed in his SOUL, and he knew that whatever happened, wherever he was, was a lot more dangerous than _himself_ behind the wheel of monarchy. He then closed his eyes, as he exhaled heavily, wondering _why_ this happened, and if whatever Gaster told him was really true.

" _I expected that a long time ago,"_ was all that the king could utter, before the figment of dream ended, as a bright light rendered him blind…

On the other hand, the meddler of time and space himself, W. D. Gaster, voiced out a thought in the depths of the Void, a Void that proved to be more than a prison to him, _"Let us hope he can drive the force back where it came from…And most importantly, hope that he can save the Queen."_


	2. Awaiting the Scythe

**I promised things won't be that easy.  
I still hope it's good enough.**

 **His first challenges are barely beginning.**  
 **This timeline is very,very different from what he knows.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter One**  
 _ **Awaiting the Scythe**_

The blinding light faded slowly, until nothing else but darkness remained, as it revealed the large body of King Asgore Dreemurr, lying on top of golden flowers as no movement could be discerned from him. However, from somewhere else, a pair of skeletal eyes was watching the king as he hoped that he will awaken eventually, this timeline was indeed in danger of being fully corrupted. Not just that, but under the firm leadership of a corrupted monarch, the Underground would go empty when Monsters start killing one another.

Minutes passed, and the king started to slowly move his paws as he felt the grass and some petals underneath him. His eyes opened to reveal darkness before him, but there was a familiar whiff of air that managed to calm the initial panic within his soul – he was back in the Underground, indeed. But then, the warning of Gaster flashed in his mind, reminding him that this particular Underground was a lot different under Toriel's firm paw.

After some degree of hesitation, he shook his head and slowly rose from the bed of golden flowers, to which he apologized with a sheepish smile, feeling a little sorry about crushing these seemingly well-tended flowers. He then started walking down the darkened tunnel, knowing exactly how long it was until anyone would've reached the fabled stone door that marked the entrance to their realm.

 _Their._

How long was it, again, since the Kingdom of Monsters stopped being his and hers? Yes, the death of their children marked the beginning of the end – but there was still no excuse for Toriel's cowardly running in front of adversity. He didn't push away his own guilt and remorse, knowing that his own declaration was now the most stupid declaration of war a monarch could do, as killing led to even more deaths for the humans and monsters. _"Asriel wouldn't have wanted us to be wracked apart by grief. But at this moment, I do not feel redemption is still possible for me. The child…"_ he thought as he remembered the last moments before falling into unconsciousness. _"The child named Frisk was willing to stay with us, even if they wanted to go home…They even showed me mercy. But to what end? Without Toriel, my life would still be empty."_

He gently pushed the large stone door, as he entered the familiar large cave, watching how the last rays of sun were dawning upon a grassy patch in the middle of the cave. It was a small relief to see the light of the sun, but that made him want even more – though the mindset he was in brought him back to the crude reality of things: Toriel was now ruling everything, and she wanted him dead.

 _After everything we've been through, you're willing to kill me?_

Minutes passed before he was taken out of his thoughts by a snarl and a rude voice of a child that called out to him, and he looked around in confusion, not entirely certain from where he heard the voice:

"Howdy, I'm Flowey—" the voice said, only to stop dead in his petals. "Are you kidding me? The King is down here? Pshh. Hey, ol' goat! I'm down here, you idiot!"

"Howdy," Asgore's baritonal voice replied, choosing to ignore the rather rude insult this flower just discarded upon him. "You seem to know who I am."

"Goddamnit, you stupid goat. Everyone knows who you are, and I bet you know everyone wants your sorry tail killed." Flowey said, with a slight huff.

"On behalf of Toriel's orders, I know," the old king said, hunging his head low. "I'm simply waiting for it to happen. But know this…"

His eyes shot to reveal a furious blue, his hair ruffled by the gentle wind that blew through the opening above, "I will not stop until I save her from all this. She's horribly misguided, if she thinks I am her enemy."

"Pfft," Flowey said, sticking his tongue out, "you're not going to last that much. The monsters are better trained than before. Sayin' she knows ALL of your weaknesses."

" _In that case, I must make up for those weaknesses,"_ the king thought as he narrowed his furious, blue eyes, and then let out a sigh, as he wondered just how much things have changed. He has been to the Ruins once or twice, just in exploration, but that was all there was to it, he didn't know _what_ or _who_ lived in there, and just as he was mentally wondering about everything, Flowey pulled his SOUL out.

"I know you're not new to the bloody Underground," the flower huffed, "but it's standard of me to train anyone in the uses of this timeline."

"Very well, do your training," Asgore waved one of his paws and simply stood ready for anything.

"See that white heart of yours? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being. Indeed, while monsters are built of love, hope and compassion, that very LOVE is enough to make their soul stronger. I think you saw the two letters there..."

"So, LV stands for LOVE?" Asgore said, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Yes, of course!" Flowey huffed once more as he folded his vines. "You're not a weak monster, by all means. But you can become even stronger."

 **STATS OF ASGORE DREEMURR**  
 _ **The Old King of the Underground**_  
 **LV: ?**  
 **ATK: 80**  
 **DEF:80**  
 **HP: 3500**  
 **Weapon: Trident**  
 **Armor: Delta Rune armor**

"And, say, how can I get more LOVE?" Asgore asked, seemingly understanding that something was wrong about this flower.

"See these white things?" the flower asked, with a childish face. "Those are 'friendliness pellets'. They can heal you up. So, try to take them all, my king."

For some odd reason, Asgore thought that the flower was lying, and countered the pellets with a few small fireballs of his own, making Flowey snarl in anger as he widened his eyes. Now, it gave the king a chance to prove that all of his 'training' was a full-fledged lie, a lie that would _never_ work on an experienced Dreemurr.

"You were trying to kill me, don't you?" the old king said, narrowing his eyes. "You are lucky I abhor the very notion of violence, as much as I had to do everything in my power to save this fallen kingdom. I'm not going to wait for the scythe of killing to do its' bidding."

He then proceeded to shoot a few more fireballs, burning the ground around Flowey and forcing him to retreat as quickly as possible. Seeing that his threat worked, the king immediately extinguished the flames, and let out a frustrated bleat as he was now aware that they _will_ goad him into killing, so that Toriel — well, the Toriel that supposedly ruled this land — could make an example of him when they met.

" _Tori…I promise,"_ he thought for a moment as he stood in the doorframe that led to the entrance of the Ruins, _"I promise I'll free our kingdom, together…"_

-X-

The Ruins felt significantly smaller — at least to him — as he walked down the old, decayed corridors, full of vines here and there. It seemed the kingdom was falling even further, if these parts of it were slowly succumbing to the passing of time, if the queen didn't even care about the lives of the _possibly_ innocent monsters that lived around here.

He recalled that traps were set in place for any attempting intruder that would adventure in the Underground, meaning harm to the monsters living in here, and he expertly tried his paw at solving a few of the puzzles he came across in order to advance from room to room. The sights of fiery furnaces, deadly spike traps, shooting arrows that activated at the mere pressure applied on some of the pads were just the beginning of the puzzles that were laid throughout the Underground, and even he had to admit — they were all set for him, set on destroying him — as he let out a sigh of relief, his cape taking a lot of damage in the process.

" _Those traps were truly deadly,"_ he thought for a moment as he discarded the cape. He was left in his battle armor, and summoned his trident as he felt a cold shiver running down his spine — somebody was lurking in the shadows, waiting to kill him at the first mistake. Assassins started to become a part of this timeline, and this particular assassin was one of the top ones, trained by the Royal Guard Captain herself. But even they were willing to form a league of their own, to act as an independent group, and killing the king would've been the first step towards such a great goal.

In this assassin's eyes, gaining the favor of the Queen was more than enough.

" _He'll never know what hit him. We're going to become The Deadly Scythe, the group of Underground monsters that seeks the glory within!"_ the monster thought, as he was watching the king moving towards the next room. _"Ohoho, and this is just the beginning…"_ The assassin moved with the help of shadows, waiting for a moment to snuff the lights out and attack ruthlessly, as he strictly remembered the order given to him. _"Do not let him live. If he reaches here, all of my plans will be ruined!"_

The next room felt a little larger than the previous one, but the impending sense of danger was enough to keep the old king in alert. The decay he noticed earlier was even more prominent in here, the walls were almost going to fall — and possibly injure someone — and then, just when he thought that advancing was a little too easy for his taste, the light completely disappeared, making him rely on a fireball he conjured in his left paw.

Cackles and slight hissing could be heard in the darkness, as his face, barely illuminated by the fire in his paw betrayed worry and a slight hint of fear. Whoever this was, they had the power to snuff light out like it was nothing, and that made things a lot harder, even for an experienced fighter like himself. But it seemed like the one who was after him was also a fan of playing with its' prey, for he could hear whispers in the dark.

"Heheh," the assassin eventually dropped down, as he could see the king before him. "I know who you are."

"I don't," Asgore replied. "What do you want from me?"

"Oh, but it's easy. We want your SOUL, so the queen can destroy it herself. She's a little nitpicky, like that," the assassin said, with a slight hiss, "but she pays me and my buddies quite well."

"At least, if I'm going to meet my end here, this soon," the king said, "can I know your name? I'd like to know who my opponent is."

"Wow, so she was right. You do like formally dueling!" the lizard-like monster hissed in excitement, "You see, even if I like stealthy stuff, I do enjoy a good duel once in a while…"

The lizard monster let out a sigh, as he continued, "But many just simply fall to their knees after a while. And I really hate this! I'm tired of having no real contender around here!"

"I see," Asgore stated, blankly. "I'm ready when you are."

"By the way…" the lizard-like monster said, with a glint in his eyes. "My name's Scythe. And I'm pleased to fight against the King himself!"

" _I do hope that this duel will explain more of why Tori's so set on killing me…"_ the king thought as he readied his trident, snuffing the fire out.


	3. Killing Intentions

**The duel continues.  
But there's still hope, right?**

 **...Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**  
 _ **Killing Intentions**_

The moment Asgore extinguished the fire in his paw, darkness dawned upon the two enemies at hand. It seemed like the duel would've been in favor of the expert assassin, but nobody really knew that darkness wasn't Asgore's greatest weakness. No, he learned to hone the darkness as much as his light — courtesy of Undyne's intentions at making him even a better predator, although he openly said that there would be no real use of these abilities — but it seemed she was indeed right. His opponent, however, felt like he could share a few more words before they launched in the blind duel before them, while the king was simply unwavering and stood in position, also willing to spare some breath for a little taunt before they clashed:

"King Asgore, I want to say it's been an honor to fight you. Should you perish in the attempt, I want you to know you're going to be the top challenger on my list." Scythe said, as he licked his lips in anticipation of the duel.

"I promise that this duel will be worth your while." Asgore said, as he remained in place, trying to adjust his senses as he twirled the trident.

 **[Music: Asgore (Intense Symphonic Metal Cover)]**

With that, the two opponents readied themselves, and then it started. Blades were starting to slash from every direction, while Asgore tried to parry them as effectively as he could, discerning faint movements in the darkness — even if his opponent was a skilled stealth master, Asgore was a proficient sensor — so it was a shock when Scythe's blades were sometimes blocked, sometimes taken in force as the king received a few slashes on his arms and face, his armor was also dented in a few places.

Asgore then honed his instincts on the killing intent, as much as Scythe tried to hide that, and started shooting honing fireballs that chased the shadow of Scythe all around the room, briefly illuminating the lizard's face as he looked in shock over the king's abilities, while the few fireballs that were gently levitating around the king's massive stature showed the few cuts he received and how they were starting to heal. Scythe effortlessly makes a jump in mid-air as he snuffs the first three fireballs, receiving the other fireballs in tow, partially burning his clothes and scales — and felt like this challenge was a sore mistake on his part.

Asgore wasted no time in putting his paws forward, as he created a fire circle, aiming to defend himself against other potential blade lunges, while focused on healing his remaining wounds, but Scythe was not yet done with his amazing tricks. He started calling out a few shurikens that he doused in ice magic, but his ice magic was very, very different than those of most ice magic users. He launched the shurikens as they seemingly stuck in the fire dome Asgore created, and then clenched his claws, making the shield break and instantly melt as he struck at Asgore from the shadows, the large king receiving quite the damage as he shielded himself with his arms.

 **[Music Stop]**

"Heh, you're not that bad," Scythe said, as he took a glance at the king. "You can actually stand against me in the dark."

Asgore took a deep breath as he kept his paws up, "So, what does that mean?"

"I'm going to start trying a little harder than that." Scythe said, with a smirk on his face. "And, to make it equal for both of us, I'm going to give light back to this place." He added, as he held out his claws apart, murmuring something for himself.

Soon, the room was again filled with light, and Asgore could notice that he did manage to land a hit on the stealthy assassin, which was a relief, but he was also a little damaged. It seemed like Scythe was enjoying himself, as a bright smile was over his lizard-like face, seeing the King actually had the guts to confront him while blind. And to him, that was impressive, as many didn't even resist in the dark that much.

"Can you tell me why Toriel wants me dead that much?" Asgore asked, as he let out his injured arms.

"Oh, well, I can't really say. She's a lot more mysterious than I am," Scythe admitted, as he playfully threw one of his shuriken in the air. "But she gives off that vibe of hating you, king. Like, a lot."

" _Makes sense…whoever, whatever is that force, is actually feeding on her hatred for me."_ the king mused for himself, as he supported his weight on the red trident.

"So, ready for the second part, King?" Scythe said, a bright smirk on his lizard face.

"Ready when you are," Asgore replied lightly.

 **[Music: Burn in Despair!(Pitch-Corrected)]**

The lizard let out a hearty laughter as he started summoning ice shuriken towards the king, while drawing out his dual, ice-coated katanas. A mischievous glint could be seen in his eyes, as he watched the king effortlessly counter the ice shurikens with a few fireballs of his own, and then readied his trident, which was slowly coating itself with flames. It was a sight that made Scythe smile with glee, a terrifying glee at that, as he lunged with his dual ice katanas at a rapid pace, whirling slashes to his larger opponent, who had no such way of being an agile fighter.

Though, even if his large stature didn't let way for agility, the king was a lot more resilient than Scythe, which was why he almost effortlessly parried each whirling slash that came his way, and then clasped his paws with strength, a gust of wind making the lizard fly into the nearest wall, but Scythe was smart enough to land on his hind claws, as that stopped the momentum of flight. Well, the king was no puny fighter, of that he was certain, but he was no master of trickery like he was…

The lizard dug his dual ice katanas deep in the ground, freezing the entire field, making the king slip a little at the new ground under his feet, and yet, Asgore did the same by managing to burn the ice around him, something that Scythe foresaw — and took advantage of the opening Asgore let up, as he threw a large ice boulder to the king's ribs, making him fall to his knees and cutting, for a moment, his breathing.

" _He's a lot more cunning that he lets on,"_ Asgore managed to think as he was focusing on not losing consciousness. _"But I can make up for that!"_ the king convinced himself as his paws started to catch fire, trying to shift the power of this fire to something more, more damaging than his opponent thought, and then remembered an old ability of his.

 **STATS OF ASGORE DREEMURR**  
 _ **The Old King of the Underground**_  
 **LV:?**  
 **ATK: 80**  
 **DEF: 75 (-5 per turn, Ice Boulder injury)**  
 **HP: 2800**  
 **Weapon: Trident**  
 **Armor: Delta Rune armor**

"Golly, you really are an able fighter," he said with a gentle smile on his face, as he kept his stance. The damage was considerable, but the abilities he had were no match for the expert assassin before him. "But it's time I tried a little harder, as you said before."

He then started coating his entire body in flames, which were healing his cuts and making his larger injuries heal overtime, as well as shifting the trident to something a little more closely to his opponent's weaponry: Dual Fire Chaos Sabers. Asgore was aware that he didn't make up for agility, yet the fire that coated him helped him increase the speed of his movements, to a considerable amount, that is.

Meanwhile, Scythe looked at the king's new powers, and smiled even brighter. He also coated his body in ice armor, ready to do better than before. "Well, it wasn't like you're not trying, king. But I really like the evolution this has…"

" _Maybe he will turn on my side,"_ the king mused as he looked at the impatient swish of tail that Scythe had, _"and will tell me more about this entire realm."_

Asgore started using fire teleportation to clash against his enemy, while Scythe was more than happy to use his ice katanas against the most powerful Dreemurr of the bunch — oh yes, the king was indeed strong — as the large goat monster effectively slashed Scythe's face a few times, leaving numerous cuts and burns from the Fire Chaos Sabers, while the ice-cold touch of Scythe's blades let out ice-stinging injuries on the king's fur and face.

The entire blades clash went on until Asgore decided this was a little stalemate, but Scythe wasn't so convinced of that as they stood again on different sides, both slightly panting from the effort. The lizard monster managed to let out a slight laugh, as he noticed his entire armor and clothes were burnt all over, and the ice armor was starting to fade away. "One final clash will decide the victor. I hate stalemates. I was never a fan of them," Scythe said as he clenched one of his claws in fury. "I like duels that show who's the better fighter. I like duels that give all in, not backing down in the slightest. That's why I've been trained by the Royal Guard Captain herself. Ohoho, she's a menacing one…"

" _Undyne…?"_ the king's mind immediately sprung to the memory of his prized student/adopted daughter. _"So, if she's still Captain…means that Toriel needs her as much as I did…"_

"Very well, one final clash," Asgore agreed.

The two monsters, lizard and goat, lunged against one another with all their force, ice and fire mingling in a mix of freezing walls and burning plants as they parried their blades, shoved one another in the walls, rendering the entire battlefield to ruin with every new move, and they were getting exhausted, terribly exhausted — the wounds meant nothing to either of them — so it was no surprise to see that Scythe and Asgore were on their knees, both smiling.

" _So…I guess I lost…"_ the lizard thought as he fell on his face, unconscious.

" _This…was for you….Tori…"_ the king thought as he fell unconscious, a few moments later.

 **[Music Stop]**

-X-

Somewhere in Hotland, the Royal Scientist was watching with interest the whole fight. She was rooting for her brother, Scythe, but when the duel eventually finished with both losing consciousness, she threw away her Instant Noodles in shock. The king couldn't have been that powerful, could he? And now, the Queen will be extremely pissed and not allowing him and the rest of the Assassins form their little group. She clenched her teeth in anger as she closed down the monitors and began working once more on a large, terrible robot meant to destroy the King.

" _If her or my robot won't take him down, the Queen will kill us all personally,"_ she thought, picking up the nearest wrench as she tightened up a few loose bolts. _"And I…I…won't get the chance to tell Undyne how I really feel."_

The dim light of hope was slowly fading away…


	4. Oy Lazare, Lazare!

… **I seem to have a thing for Feline Royal Guards…**  
 **Don't mind me.**  
 **Also, yeah, it's a little reference to the song used in Witcher 3.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Three**  
 _ **Oy, Lazare, Lazare!**_

The Queen stood standing on the balcony of her castle, watching how the various monsters were faring their trade in the nearby market, and it seemed the capital was growing prosperous to her eyes. But it was all a lie, and she was — or not — fully aware of it, as her dark Delta Rune robes covered her entire monster body, and a white tiara was on top of her head. She looked old and bitter, tired of seeing this unfolding before her eyes, but she knew there was only one and one monster to blame.

 _Him._

He never did anything to ensure this kingdom didn't fall. He said that she was acting out of folly, and that her plan of taking just _one_ human soul was horrendous enough as taking the life of _six_. He told her that there was no way just one or the other of them could save this — already — falling kingdom, but she refused to believe him. In a brief moment of anger, her head hurt, and she held her temples as visions were flashing before her eyes…

…Monsters viciously killing themselves, monsters rebelling against her, but something was oddly different about one.

One refused to let her die.

It was _him_.

Out of everyone else, it was _him_ that was willing to die for her.

" _No, this vision cannot be real!"_ she thought, letting out a vicious snarl escape her muzzle. _"It's all a lie! My people are feeling well under my rule."_ She clenched a paw, as dark licks of fire could be seen emitting from the closed paw. She was willing to sacrifice everything to lead the kingdom to a better path, but her plan seemed to stand at a halt as no human fell down so far.

But she was also set on killing Asgore. She pushed aside all that love that was once blooming in her heart, the kingdom fell apart, and it fell even further under her rule — she wasn't aware of that, though — but that was the only way she thought revenge would be fulfilled.

A voice could be heard in her mind, commanding her every movement. **"Yes, yes…indeed. The visions are just a trick, Queen Toriel,"** the voice snarled, **"but do not worry, the one responsible for them cannot stop us. The Kingdom of Monsters will rise again."**

Red eyes shot up at the horizon of the capital, anger etched in them, and a sinister smile spread upon Toriel's once gracious muzzle. The force spoke through her voice, telling monsterkind below that their revenge was close at hand, and that they will get to exact their insults upon King Asgore when he is caught by the Royal Guard. Some monsters hailed the Queen, saying it was about time the coward paid for what he did, but there were monsters that refused to believe her.

"…There's no way I'm letting the King go down that easily." a feline monster watched the entire commotion in the shadows, a faint white Delta Rune visible on his robes. He was a member of the Royal Guard, and while he knew the plans Undyne had for the king, he was looking to rebel against this domination for a long, long time ago. "I do hope Scythe gives up on his little League forming. It's stupid, and ridiculous, nobody wants a civil war between us. But…"

The feline closed his eyes, letting out a sigh as he held on the handle of his large sword. "But if that time comes, I will side with the King…"

-X-

Meanwhile, in the Ruins, the two brave fighters — Asgore and Scythe — were still lying unconscious, a pair of skeletal eyes watching over them, again hoping for the king to rise. His journey was barely beginning, and the changes were so drastic that he feared the old goat monster might falter, the moment he'll see just how far his wife — well she wasn't entirely his — had fallen in her foolish attempt at freeing monsterkind from their barrier.

" _This is just the start…"_ the tall, ghost-like figure thought as he looked at the two with worry. _"And it gets worse before it gets any better,"_ he continued, as he rubbed his bony hands against each other in aggravation. _"But the force is getting stronger, and I cannot stop it. It already blocked my visions towards Queen Toriel…"_

" _ **You meddler."**_ the voice hissed behind him. _**"You do realize you've just prolonged his suffering? Wow, you're no different than I am!"**_ the voice cackled as it started to take shape in front of his eyes. It was an adult woman, with her face half-disfigured from fire, and her eyes were glinting with malevolence. The clothes she was wearing were somewhat torn, but she didn't seem to really care — she let out a laugh watching the tall skeleton monster, dressed in a white lab coat.

" _You do realize I'll help him, right? And if it ends in us battling as well as them…well."_ the skeleton said as he clenched one of his bony hands, a large draconic skull appearing above him. _"Well, I have no intention to make him kill the Queen because of you."_

The woman simply laughed as she brushed a hand against her brown hair. _ **"Oh, his suffering will be delicious! Just imagine, I've been ruling this flawed kingdom for a while, before you showed up. It will be a beautiful clash!"**_ she added, as her eyes glinted with mischief.

Just as Gaster was faring against the woman who tortured poor Toriel, Asgore started to open his eyes, as he slowly took in the surroundings. He was still a little roughed up from the battle, but that didn't stop him from letting out a relieved sigh — it was a draw, that much was obvious — and knew that this was just the first thing that changed. _"There are bound to be more changes than this,"_ he mused as he picked himself up and walked towards the still-unconscious lizard.

"Wake up, warrior," Asgore said as he tried to shake the lizard's body, turning him on his back. That gave the old king a chance at seeing the monster a little in detail. Scythe was wearing dark-green robes which had an unknown symbol on the front, and the lizard's scales were proving he was actually a Komodo dragon. He also had a scar on his left eye, seemingly gained in some confrontation, for it looked old — it also had the shape of a cross.

"N-Ngh…" Scythe said, as he blinked, seeing the king standing beside him. "Wha'…What h-happened? I-It was a draw?" he said, taking a mental guess both fainted from exhaustion.

"Yes. It was a draw," Asgore stated, as he held out his white paw. "Here, I'll help you stand."

The Komodo dragon didn't refuse the king's offer, and rose to his feet, a small smile gracing his muzzle. "Thanks, King Asgore. You know…"

"What is it?" the king asked, as he started walking alongside the lizard, at a steady pace.

"I can't believe I thought I could defeat you," Scythe said with a laugh. "I guess the promise of having my League wasn't enough…"

"So, care to tell me what is going on in the realm?" Asgore said, clearly interested in understanding what happened to their kingdom in his absence.

"Hmph, guess we're on the same side," the Komodo dragon said with a snicker. "Yeah, sure. The Kingdom — as you probably know it — is no longer like that. It might seem prosperous, but it's nothing but a fake. An illusion…"

"Are you close to Toriel?" the old goat monster asked, biting his lip as the endearing name escaped him. "Can you tell me more about how she is?"

"I dunno, that might come out as strange to you, king…" Scythe paused. "But I could swear she's shifting personalities faster than I can blink."

" _What does that mean?"_ Asgore wondered as his eyes widened, and voiced his thoughts to the Komodo, the latter letting his head hung low for a reason.

"I mean…One night, I could've sworn I heard her calling your name..."

He paused.

"…Through tears."

The old Boss Monster blinked a few times in shock, unable to process what Scythe just told him. Both lizard and goat stopped somewhere along the pathway towards the exit of the Ruins, the latter shaking with emotions. He didn't want to believe that this could've been true, could've been a ruse that the force used in order to reach out to him, to make him falter—but then Scythe shocked him even further.

"I know. You think it's not true, king. But I heard her myself, 'cause I used to be a Royal Guard. And there's more like me. She said something like…"

 **(Scythe's Flashback)**

 _It was long after the Royal Reception was finished — the few monsters that took the burden of nobility tried to help her that night — and she retreated to her room, saying the usual order and stuff like 'Guard my room, watch my back'. My other partner in the Guard was already asleep on duty, while I was exerting myself not to sleep. I guess hours must've passed, before I heard sobbing._

 _I thought it couldn't be true. She didn't really show any emotion on her face, so why—?_

 _And then I heard it. It was her usual, sweet tone that we were all used to hear, when she was with you, King Asgore. "Gorey, Gorey, where are you, my Gorey?"_

 _I entered the room, and saw Her Majesty sobbing on the floor, asking the same question. I tried to lift her, ask her if she was okay, but a gust of wind pushed me away…I thought I could discern menacing growls in the wind, but it was my imagination…_

 **(End Flashback)**

"Yup, that's pretty much it," the Komodo dragon said, as he placed a paw over the strange symbol. "And, just in case you're confused about this, this is the symbol of my League."

"I…I see," the king said, as a cold shudder ran through his spine. "It seems like whatever got into her…" Asgore's face darkened for a moment, **"I'm the one who can banish it."**

"Not saying you can't," Scythe said, shrugging. "But yeah, perhaps you can. Ohoho, look, we're almost outta here!" he said with glee, pointing to the exit.

-X-

Somewhere in Waterfall, a fish-like monster was pacing back and forth in a large room, while pairs of eyes were looking at her with both fear and curiosity. She was snarling from time to time, clearly not pleased with the recent events that transpired, and one of her guests had the courage to step forward.

"What do you want," she said, shooting him a deathly stare. "Isn't it enough that he failed to stop the king? _And after I trained him myself…!_ "

"Yeah, I know, Captain," the monster standing forth replied, with a baritone voice. "But trust us; we're on the side of the Guard and the Queen."

"Where's Will? Again wasting time in town?" the fish monster said, clenching her hand/fin. "Godsdamnit, bring that stupid cat here."

" _Gods, only I know just how hard I try to instill some sense of following orders into that cat!"_ she thought as she resumed pacing back and forth, until an envoy from the capital barged in the room, presenting an urgent message from the queen.

She picked it up nervously, only to crush said paper instantly after reading it and sent back the envoy, which was shaking under her irritated gaze. " **He's already heading for Snowdin! Godsdamnit!"** she roared as she looked at two other felines, awaiting her orders. **"Alia, Rey, I'm counting on you two. Your brother doesn't seem to bother following orders.** "

"Of course, / Sure, Captain," was the answer of the two felines, who immediately went out of the room.

-X-

Down at the market in the Capital, Will was still watching the crowds, looking for any sign of disturbance. He hoped that Scythe will eventually make it okay, and that the Guard won't be hounding him down — they had a habit of making traitors pay, in the most painful way possible. Everything seemed to go alright, when suddenly someone placed a bag over his head and dragged him into a nearby alley….

He could hear voices whispering, and he asked them what did they want — he wasn't going to get killed that easily — when, after a good fifteen minutes of being dragged out, the bag was taken off his head, revealing eight lizards standing before him, all bearing Scythe's league emblem. One of them, the largest alligator Will has ever seen, let out a menacing hiss as he asked for Will's sword.

Knowing far too well that the Assassins weren't taking deals unless something big was in, he decided to comply with them for a while…

"So, why am I dragged here, huh?" he asked, noticing the anger on their faces. "What, think I'm going to backstab Scythe or something?"

A female iguana monster, who wore black robes, looked at him with her yellow eyes and folded her arms. She seemed to share her partners' fury in regards to the feline. "Why should we believe you, Will? You're a cat. And you still bear the Delta Rune."

"I bear it because I follow the King," Will said blankly. "I don't follow the Queen, she's demented. She asked just yesterday that we spit on the King for all of his mistakes, if and when he gets captured by the Guard."

"Hmph," she let out an impatient huff. "I believe him, guys," she said, turning to the other lizards. "I mean, he bears the Rune out of loyalty to the king. And seeing how Scythe looks like he got friends with the king…"

Will's eyes widened at this. "Whoa, you mean it, Dyra? He got friends with the King of Monsters himself?! I'm so rooting for the king right now!"

The other lizards were sweatdropping at the rather hilarious scene between their second-in-command and their prisoner. But then again, he did seem to be on their side. All that while somewhere in Hotland, a mad scientist was watching with an evil glint the advance of the King and Scythe in Snowdin…

…The light of hope still glows.


	5. Marks of a Taint

**God, I hate to write hints of Soriel…but since the force seems to have taken a liking to Sans...yeeah I hate this already. I hope I'll get to write the final confrontation so damn badass the force will NEVER AGAIN pull a Soriel on my adorable Tori and Gorey!**

 **The force won't be revealing her name just yet, don't worry. But she will, soon.**

 **Trust me, I sincerely harbor a** _ **profound**_ **dislike for Sans x Toriel pair. I'm not going to maul anyone who likes the pair though, to each their own taste.**

 ***slight menacing growl from Shock ensues***

 **Enjoy it, nonetheless! :)  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Four**  
 _ **Marks of a Taint**_

The two fighters emerged from the Ruins, as they walked on the cold, flurry snow. Their pawprints were the only proof they passed through this realm, but both could swear someone was watching from behind — it wasn't a surprise when Scythe let out a slight snarl from his snout. "Someone's not entirely keen we're walking through these grounds,"the Komodo said, as his eyes narrowed. "Though rest assured, King, you got my back. And if we get to my League, you'll have their support as well…"

"What about the Royal Guard?" Asgore couldn't help wonder what has happened with his faithful soldiers, that followed his orders. "Is it on my side…" he hesitated a moment as a deep sigh escaped his muzzle. "Or is it on hers?"

"Ah, I'm afraid I can't answer that question," Scythe said, as he walked behind the king, as if careful to respect the protocol when it came to monarchs, something Asgore noticed.

"Please, we stand as friends," the old king said. "You're free to walk besides me, young Scythe."

However, Scythe wasn't done with his speech. "Still, to answer your Majesty's question, at least partially, some of the Guards have shown interest in siding with you, should things get hairy."

" _I don't want that to happen,"_ the old goat monster thought, a few tears running down his face. _"I don't want to fight her…"_

The one Scythe warned the king about was still silently following them, a chuckle escaping his bony lips. He couldn't imagine Asgore came out of hiding — or wherever he was, really — and started making _friends._ Then again, it was typical for this Dreemurr to focus on peace rather than war, something this monster couldn't understand. _"but then again, she's the brains of the kingdom. she's doing much better than him…and come to think, my bro and i have to get him. with his new buddy, at least the fight will be equal."_

The monster teleported to his home, noticing his brother was training, and didn't even notice him. He let out a shrug as he had nothing else to do, for the moment, but his brother was angrily grinding his teeth at the sheer laziness with which he looked forward to the capturing of King Asgore. _"ALAS, HE'S A LOT IRRESPONSIBLE THAN I THOUGHT,"_ a tall skeleton monster thought as he expertly wielded his bone rapier and shield. _"BUT THEN AGAIN, HE SHOULDN'T TAKE THE KING TOO LIGHTLY…"_

-X-

Meanwhile, at Scythe's League HQ, the feline named Will — a slightly muscular grey tabby cat, with orange eyes — looked at Dyra, the iguana warrior with curiosity, as one of the lizard assassins freed him and handed back his sword with a slight huff. He was still failing to understand how could the League place itself so swiftly under the King's command, and wondered how long he will last in the Guard, until he was betrayed by someone. His grey tail was swishing a little impatiently, while his posture was one of an angry and thoughtful monster — arms folded, eyes narrowed in aggravation — and decided to address the elephant in the room, while Dyra was watching something on her own monitors.

"So, how exactly are we to serve the King? It's a matter of time until _they_ find out I'm working for you." Will said, as his gaze was affixed on Dyra's slightly muscular body of her own. "Besides, the idea of a civil war is starting to rise in all of their heads," he added, pointing out towards the exit, where the monsters of the capital were.

"I'm aware of that, Will," Dyra snarled a little, forgetting her temper. "Look, it's not like we get to decide the fate of this poorly led Kingdom. If they'll fight, they'll fight. There's no other way."

"And Undyne? She is quite pissed that Scythe isn't listening to her anymore — or me, for that matter either," Will replied, as his head hung low. "Don't get me wrong, she's probably bad, but…I have to admit, she's full of honor as a warrior."

"It doesn't matter," the large alligator who looked at Will with an unsure look snarled. "All that matters is that we'll follow the King. He fights, we fight." He seemed dead serious about his statement, as he folded his large, scaly arms and shook his head.

"Jeez, Dynamo, you sound pretty committed to the cause right there," a chameleon-like monster laughed, as he adjusted his glasses. "You're pretty much like your sis, Dyra. Both committed, both sharing unhealthy obsessions—"

It seemed the words reached Dynamo faster than the chameleon thought, for in the next second, said chameleon was punched in the face, slightly breaking his nose and cracking his glasses. A trail of blood ran from the chameleon's nose, as he didn't understand _why_ was Dynamo pissed, anyway, and let out a cough as he slumped to the floor, a little dizzy from the hit.

"Damn it, Dynamo!" Dyra hissed as she watched her big brother pummel the chameleon. "Do you keep forgetting Warkie here is our recon specialist?" she added as she started tending to the wounded chameleon.

"Grr." was the sole answer Dynamo could retort, as he searched for a smoke, while Will was watching the entire exchange with slight confusion. "I do not like him when he points out _those_ things."

"Dude, Dynamo." Will said, huffing. "Can we focus on _how_ to keep us all alive? Like, the king needs all of our support when he gets here!"

Dyra's face was still betraying concern and anger over the fact Warkie was injured — up until Will came by, she had some feelings towards the chameleon, but now, she was a little confused and unsure. The feline proved he was smart enough, cute enough… _"Gah, Dyra, stop it!"_ she chastised herself as she tended to Warkie.

"No need, Dyra." Warkie said with a smile. "I'm okay; i-it's nothing I can't fix."

"Are you sure, Wark-wark?" she returned the smile he sent her way.

"Yeah," Warkie nodded. "I still wonder what happened to my sister…"

Dyra's face darkened the moment he uttered the word 'sister', and she grinded her teeth in fury as she made her way towards the monitors, every other lizard — and feline — looking at her with curious eyes. _"Alphys…"_ she hissed in her mind, _"you traitor. You chose to work with her…abandoned your family, long ago…Warkie, Akai…they were your brothers! Akai refuses to tell me more about you, and Warkie feels your absence. You...!"_

Will's voice snapped her out of her anger. "Dyra? Dyra, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm perfectly fine…"she said, with a growling voice.

-X-

Asgore and Scythe were drawing nearer to Snowdin, and the Komodo suggested that he should disguise himself, for the time being. Perhaps most monsters knew the king was back in the Underground, but others did not, and advantage was something they could profit from — at least for a while — the king let out a sigh as he understood the idea behind Scythe's plan. He summoned a robe made out of fire, just to give the impression he was an ancient hybrid, something the Komodo smirked upon seeing.

"Ohoho, that's nice! I'll say you're just a new recruit of mine. Keep your trident out of sight, king." Scythe said, as he pulled the dark-green hood over his visage.

"I do hope this ruse of yours will hold out long enough 'till we're out of Snowdin…" Asgore said, a little frowning.

"Whoever was following us in the woods," the Komodo said, a little snarling, "will probably attempt to fight us at a given chance."

"And if they won't?" the old king asked.

"If they won't…" the Komodo assassin replied, "means we're still lucky, for the time being."

"I still have to ask…" Asgore stared in the distance, as if remembering something, "did you happen to hear her…" He clenched his paw in anger, as a few tears were rolling down his cheeks. "…Pleading? Asking for me? I-I don't want to sound like a desperate king—"

Scythe just briefly let out a sigh as he could understand. "Trust me, king. I am thinking about someone, as much as you do…and…"

" _She's probably the only one I'd cross hell for, whatever it took."_

 **(Later…)**

The small skeleton wandered outside their house, seemingly aware of someone heading their way, and let out a laugh, as he anticipated the battle about to come. He wondered how will the king react, knowing the queen has long chosen the skeleton, and not the king…? _"imagine the absolutely mortified expression on his face, when i'll tell him i'm with toriel. pfft, wanna bet he will be full blown warrior over that?"_

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT, BROTHER?" his brother Papyrus asked, as he finished his training. "DO NOT TELL ME YOU'RE AGAIN THINKING ON WHY THE QUEEN DATES YOU."

"well, that's just it, paps." Sans said, with a sick grin. "he's failing to realize that this world is so changed, that nobody needs his help. and yet, i keep hearin' from the stupid assassins that he's willing to save her."

"MAYBE HE STILL LOVES HER. AND YOU JUST BARGED IN ON HER, THINKING THAT IT WILL BE COOL. THAT YOUR – WHATEVER – EXISTENT FEELINGS WILL BE RETURNED. AT FIRST, SHE TOLD YOU THERE WAS NO ABSOLUTE CHANCE THAT WOULD HAPPEN, AS SHE LOVES THE KING."

"then, what made her change her mind a week later, huh?" Sans wondered, as Papyrus' observation wasn't off the place, though…

"IT'S PROBABLY YOUR FAULT." the taller skeleton huffed. "SOMETHING YOU DID. DID YOU DO ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY? AND LET ME TELL YOU ONE THING, I'M NOT ENTIRELY UP TO YOUR 'SO-CALLED' RELATIONSHIP."

"what?" Sans's left eye glowed in response. "you're _not_ endorsing the—"

"NO. AND I WILL NOT. I'M YOUR BROTHER, BUT YOUR CHOICES ARE A LITTLE QUESTIONABLE."

"….i hope you'll back me up. they're gonna come down here." Sans looked at his brother with a little worry.

"YES. BUT DON'T EXPECT ME TO DEFEND YOU IF YOU INTEND TO PROVOKE THE KING ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL. THAT AND THAT ALONE, WILL BE YOUR BATTLE. AND I HONESTLY—"

"yes…?"

"HOPE YOU DON'T GET YOURSELF DUSTED. BUT EVEN IF YOU DO…IT WILL BE JUST YOUR FAULT ENTIRELY."

" _wow, didn't expect paps to get serious like this…he's really not backing me up on the tori thing. but that remark…"_

-X-

" **My, my,"** the force commented through Toriel's voice, **"It looks like Sans does feel something. Almost obsessive over me, heheh..."** A malevolent grin plastered itself on the matron monarch's muzzle, and her eyes were again glowing redder than before, as she banished the image. **"Do not worry, my darling Toriel. This happy ending I wrote for us all… this doesn't include Asgore. He abandoned everything."**

"Gorey…Gorey still loves me…" her real voice could be heard, from time to time, as she clutched on her robes. "He…he will save me…"

" **It's amusing, you know…"** the force said, again using her, **"you keep thinking that your treachery with Sans will never come out** — **"**

A sudden flame enveloped Toriel, as she battled the voices within, "That—" she huffed with difficulty, "THAT was YOUR treachery, not mine! You're taking advantage of the fact I know Sans for a long while, because he kept me company as I knew nothing about Asgore! And now that he's back…"

" **You expect him to believe you? My, my, Toriel, when did you become that naïve? The Old King of Monsters would** _ **never**_ **ignite the flames of hell knowing** _ **his**_ **wife dated a skeleton. And a skeleton who happens to be brothers with the newest sentry in training! He will burn Sans alive, that much I can see…"**

There was a pause.

" **And as much as I care about that silly comedian…he's just a simple pawn in this game. Nobody can stop me. And I wish good luck to your husband. He will never stop me!"**

"Gorey…" Toriel said with a smile, as her real voice came back, "Gorey will save me. I-I have faith in him."

" **Cling onto that hope…see what good it does to you."** the force laughed, as she again domineered Toriel.

" _Cling onto that hope…."_

* * *

 **Me: I'm sorry if the note at the beginning was a little aggressive, didn't mean for it to be like that *sweatdrops*  
**

 **I guess it shows how much my SOUL is burning for Tori x Gorey...*sheepish smile*.**

 **I've always found it difficult to write pairs I don't really like.**

 **Still, the hope goes on!**


	6. Conflicts and Memories

**A/N: Apologies if the previous author's note at the beginning felt a little rough.**  
 **I do not wish to deter you guys from reading my story just for that! In fact, even if I may not agree with the whole idea of letting this ship coming to life – because** _ **someone**_ **is possessing Toriel – well, it is a necessary plot point.**

 **The king is still standing.**

 **And we'll see just who this creature is…**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter V**  
 _ **Conflicts and Memories**_

The skeleton let a smirk spread across his face, as he dug his bony hands in the pockets of his jacket. By the way things were, he was content with the status quo — content with knowing the queen showed him some degree of affection — even if his brother was disgusted with his actions and intentions. The tall skeleton next to him did nothing but huff in aggravation, as he loomed over Sans, intent on defending his small, older brother.

Even if he was a little stupid and reckless as times…

"so, paps." Sans decided to speak, cutting the silence between them. "do you think they'll fight with everythin' they have?"

"AGAIN. I'M NOT ACCOUNTABLE IF YOU'RE BURNED TO DUST."Papyrus said, folding his bony arms, as the red cape behind his back flew gently with the breeze. His eyes glowed orange for a moment, then he exhaled the air he held in his non-existent lungs — it was enough to settle him in a mood of war _and_ peace.

"so you won't be—" Sans said, noticing that his brother was keeping a cool demeanor, " _fired_ up over me?"

" **One. More. Pun.** "Papyrus said, gritting his teeth. "One more pun, and I will dust you myself. No regrets."

"…crud." the small skeleton shrugged as he lowered his head.

The brittle cold of Snowdin brushed against the fur/scales of the two fighters, as they headed towards the rather humid and tranquil area of Waterfall. The trees didn't move an inch, despite the gust of wind that just passed them, and with that, the snow on their branches was still there, magically maintaining the aspect of eternal winter. Behind them, the footprints were gone, and Scythe let out an irritated snarl, as he didn't really expect that – maybe because he knew that footprints, if there was no wind, wouldn't be covered by snow. While Asgore did nothing but shake his head and smile, as he knew _this_ was someone's doing. Someone with enough manipulation over the elements – or someone that was telekinetic – could perform such a feat, making it seem like nobody even passed through the area.

Keeping his benevolent smile, he turned to Scythe, "Young one, I presume you know a few things about snow, yes?"

Scythe, slightly swishing his tail, let out a sigh, "Yes, I know. I'm an ice-magic user, after all. I know footprints don't vanish like that, into thin air!"

The king gently laughed before pointing with his paw in the direction of Waterfall, "And yet, someone from this charming little town-" He paused. "-is a telekinetic."

The Komodo's eyes widened, "What…? Are you certain, my king?"

Asgore nodded. "Yes, it is the mark of a telekinetic. I recall someone, vaguely-"

" **someone that just stole your wife, fluffybuns?** "a cold voice stopped the king in the middle of his phrase.

The two warriors could discern a vague, short silhouette that appeared before them, and it seemed that one of its' eyes glowed with a defiant surge of magic. If anything, it rang bells for Scythe, as he hurried to summon his dual ice katanas, steadying himself in position – while the king was content on holding position as well, but without summoning his fiery trident. The silhouette approached them, slowly, as if it was pondering if they posed a real threat to him, hearing it chuckle lowly a few times before it showed itself before them.

The king's eyes widened in shock, as he noticed the monster – for it was a monster, no doubt – before them: a short-statured skeleton, with a dark-blue jacket, a red shirt, black pants with a red outline and dark-blue slippers. One of his eyesockets had an old T-shaped scar, it seemed like it was gained a long, long time ago, and on his briefly-visible left hand, a large hole could be seen in the center of his palm. It was a sight that did nothing but increase the shock the old goat was going through, and then, he recalled the words the skeleton just greeted them with.

He narrowed his eyes as his voice dropped lower, "What did you say about my wife?"

The skeleton let out a low chuckle, "i said i stole your wife. does that heat you up, king fluffybuns?"

Scythe narrowed his eyes as he watched the entire scene before him, and yet, he couldn't resist the urge of kicking the skeleton's butt there and now. Something felt wrong, very wrong about this guy, and he wasn't just going to let the king get insulted, so he sent out a few ice shurikens towards the small monster.

Sans just raised his hand and stopped the shurikens with a casual smile, breaking them effortlessly, "you're not going to even act yourself, fluffybuns? letting the underlings do the job?"

Asgore placed a paw over the Komodo's shoulder, as he briefly smiled. "Scythe. I can handle this from here. I think you've already proven your loyalty."

The Komodo dragon blinked a few times, before easing out of his warrior stance. "Very well, my king. However, if the skeleton has allies, I will take them on."

Asgore's gaze became more potent as silent anger entered his blue eyes, while summoning his trident. He twirled it once, as the howling wind made his golden hair flutter, giving him a heroic appearance. With no hesitation, he slammed the trident with force, the shockwave resulting from it was so intense that it caused the snow from the nearby trees to fall and it was enough to make Sans put his bony arms in defense, his legs leaving tracks in the white snow.

His left eye flickered in aggravation, as a smirk appeared on his bony face. "so it's enough to heat ya up. tori did tell me you'll get possessive and jealous over her, heh. well, it's a _bone_ ful advantage for me."

He then clicked his fingers, as two large Gaster Blasters appeared to his side. "can't let your pal escape that easily." Two rays, one red and one blue were shot from the skeletal, draconic-like heads, their blinding light was enough to make the skeleton's adversaries forget their bearings for a moment – Scythe tried deflecting the beam with his dual ice katanas, while Asgore formed a shield as he rapidly twirled the trident – both beams ended up burning nearby trees and the roof of one house.

The Komodo twitched his right eye in irritation, as he disliked seeing innocent monsters hurt. "You're putting them in harm's way that nonchalantly? I have _no_ respect for the likes of you."

Sans let out a chuckle as another beam was directed towards Scythe, the latter barely evading it as he landed on his hind legs with some effort, and the skeleton could only note, "ya think i care about them? see, you're getting _in my way_. my duel is with fluffybuns, not you."

Asgore shook his head as he unclenched one of his paws, seven fireballs rotating themselves in a rapid manner. He didn't want to give out everything just yet – he was reluctant to fight, but if the skeleton goaded him further, his hesitation would probably vanish – and sent them out towards Sans, all of them honing on the monster skeleton.

Sans warped out of their way, but when he noticed they were _still_ following him, it made him wonder if the king was really in the fight – or out of it. "psh, that all you got, ol'man? i'm sure tori will do everything to _please_ me tonight. i'd really love to cross the _bone_ zone with her."

The well-pictured image was enough to make the goat king's face contort in a disgusted manner, before letting out a furious bleat of anger. Enough was enough, to the king's mind – nobody would ever speak of her like this – and then, his entire body was coated in flames, the snow around him melting instantly, giving way to what it seemed like scorched earth. Scythe was impressed with the king's fury, and he couldn't help but muse for himself, _"If someone would've said this kind of thing about Dyra…I thought MY fury was enough, but he tops me down to the notch. Blazing glare? Check. Fists clenched in total fury, while his trident also is on fire? Check. He's going to dust him, no chance for the bastard to live."_

Asgore started following him around, by warping with the help of fire. Occasional clashes could be seen, as Sans was forced to whip up some kind of Gaster Sabers to defend himself against the king's furious slashes. The goat king even roared from time to time, " **Enough! You've said all that had to be said!** "

Meanwhile, Papyrus was watching the whole thing in amusement. He was so entertained that he decided he won't be fighting the king's companion - something that surprised Scythe, to say the least. The Komodo dragon stood next to the tall skeleton, as both were watching the fight with awe, rooting for their respective sides.

However, Scythe couldn't help himself, "I can't believe you're not going to fight me."

Papyrus laughed gleefully, "As much as I'd love a good fight, I'm feeling a little lazy at the moment. So, yeah, I say we call a truce between us right now."

Scythe stared at him with a curious look, and nodded.

-X-

Meanwhile, in Scythe's headquarters, the tension was still a little unnerving – Dyra and the injured Warkie were discussing something in the corner, Dynamo was smoking, and the other lizards were simply minding their own business – but the odd one out in this entire crowd was Will. The feline's tail was still swishing a little in agitation, pondering and planning the best course of action for the League he was, _on a honorary base_ , part of, and it certainly didn't help that he was being hunted by the Guard for disobeying the orders of the Queen.

While it was true that the Queen used to be the best leader, whatever changed her, also changed the way monarchy was perceived amongst monsterkind – some were enjoying it and others sought to rebel against it – and the League was a perfect example of said rebellion. Scythe was the one that came out with this idea, and he specifically said that he isn't against _her Majesty_ , but _against the way her Majesty rules._

The tabby cat thought for a moment, as he looked at the gathering of lizards, _"He said once that the Queen switched personalities faster than he can blink. I don't know what that means, but I agree. Queen Toriel was once a prestigious ruler, and now she's nothing but-"_

Dyra's voice made him snap out of his thoughts, "Will?"

He blinked a little before turning towards her, "What is it, Dyra?"

She let out a sigh as she placed a claw over one of his paws, "I'm going to need you to be our recon specialist. Warkie's still recovering from the punch Dynamo gave him…"

The feline chuckled, as a smile appeared on his muzzle, "Warkie will be fine. How's Scythe? Was there anything on the monitors?"

The lizard nodded as she pointed to the screens showing Snowdin, "He's fine, but…the king looks engaged in a fight with Sans. I think I heard Sans telling him something about the Queen."

Will's eyes widened for a moment as he took in the information, "No shit. He's actually using the king's love against him? What kind of a prick does that?"

Dyra let her head hung low, as she muttered a few words for herself, "…the kind of prick who's thinking love is a game."

She kept thinking back on _why_ she and Scythe separated a long time ago – both were disagreeing about how they should live their life, as she was an adept of planning ahead, while Scythe was a warrior, and he was concerned with the small progress ahead of them. She always scolded him for being a coward, for not thinking further in the future, while he ditched words that hurt – that she was too caught up in planning she forgot to look around her – and one night, both had enough.

 _She remembered Scythe's icy glare as he was looking through some papers, "Your planning is fine, but you have to stop planning for a while. Enjoy the present, see where it takes you! I'm sick of hearing how you want this, want that – I want all of what you want too, but you're insisting on having them_ _ **now!**_ _"_

 _She saw herself throwing a small vase at him – a vase he gifted her on her last birthday – and angrily hissed at how he was so_ _ **slow**_ _with everything, how his quick reactions were only reserved for the battlefield and so forth, something that raised the tension in the air even further, as he was this close at raising his claw against her._

 _But he never did._

 _Because he loved her, more than anything, and she had to admit, looking it back…_

 _Her words rang of selfishness, while his were words of balance – he didn't want to lose her._

This time, Dynamo placed a claw over her right shoulder, his gaze betraying concern, "Dyra?"

Her eyes shot up to him, brimming with tears, as she threw herself in her brother's big, scaly arms. He didn't understand what was going on, but nevertheless, he was there to comfort her.

"It's okay, Dyra. I-I'm here." he said as he gently moved one of his claws up and down her back. "Mind telling your big brother what made you cry?"

Dyra's sobs were slowly stopping, and answered her brother between sniffles, "I was just thinking about Scythe…I-I did a horrible mistake by…" She paused, exhaling heavily, "…By leaving him that night. He-He needed me as much as I-I need him."

Will wasn't surprised to hear that – on some occasions, Scythe did mention his girlfriend – and smiled briefly, as he could piece up that her mere flattery towards other guys was just her trying to convince herself she didn't love Scythe anymore. He also placed a paw over Dyra's left shoulder, keeping a small smile on his muzzle, "Hey, Dyra. You should've told me it's Scythe you're looking for."

Her eyes widened in surprise, hearing that Will somehow saw through her guise of flirtatious manner. "Y-you picked it up? And why didn't you tell me?"

The tabby cat let out a small chuckle, "I wanted to see what was really going on, 'cause you were too nice for your own sake. I have to admit, you're beautiful. Heck, any guy would probably want to date you. But-"

"But what…?"

He slightly shook his head, as he replied, "But you already love someone. And it wouldn't be fair to steal another guy's girlfriend."

-X-

Somewhere in the castle, the Queen walked down a long, dimly lit corridor, as the few windows let the light bask the areas they were placed in. She stopped at one of those windows, as she admired the usual agitation of the city – more and more monsters came by, asking for audiences – and sometimes they were let in, sometimes they were denied entrance, but this time, things were drastically different.

A guard could be seen in the distance, as he was rushing down the hallway, a seemingly panicked expression on his face. He came to a halt as he noticed the queen standing at one of the windows, her expression giving off a mixture of anger and authority – an expression that graced her features _almost daily_.

He made a curt bow, and handed her a parchment, "Your Highness, an urgent message from the sentries of Waterfall."

She took the parchment with a swift gesture, and skimmed through the message – by the looks of it, Snowdin didn't pose too much of a threat to him. "Damn it," she growled as one of her paws ignited, "he's going to learn about my plans, soon!"

The guard cleared his throat, "Your Majesty…the report states Papyrus' brother, Sans-"

She lifted a paw to silence the guard, "Enough. You may go now."

The force's grip on Toriel loosened for a moment, as the ghostlike imagery of the disfigured woman appeared before the goat monster's eyes. Her eyes were hollow, as if she didn't have any emotion at all - something that startled Toriel for a moment, but the woman did a silencing gesture.

" **You're a good puppet, and he's gone. He was a poor, single-minded monster. He pushed Asgore too far, made him murder the skeleton in cold blood. Oh, and his brother didn't care."**

Toriel's voice was trembling as she spoke to the woman, "Even if you tricked him into this…he was still a monster friend."

The woman let out a sinister laugh, accompanied by a grim smile, **"Still. I presume you know who I am…? Or at least, you have a hint? Come on, I thought you were the brains of this dysfunctional family."**

The female goat monster's eyes narrowed, as she struggled to piece up what befell her, "You are indeed familiar, but I can't-?"

" **Oh, Mother…How oblivious can you be, sometimes…"**


End file.
